Mollie Hunt's Blog, page 15

RECIPES FROM THE GHOST BOOK: Soups

Category Three: SOUPS

I love soup! I practically live on it. Udon, ramen, split pea, chicken noodle, minestrone, lentil – I could go on and on. My grandmother must have felt differently, however, because the Soup section of her cookbook is blank. Utterly blank!

Did they not eat soup? Did she have her favorite recipes down by heart? Did they open a can of Campbell’s (winner of a bronze medal for product excellence at the Paris Exposition in 1900)? Since according to the internet,  it’s believed that the first bowl of soup was prepared around 20,000 BC, why is it so conspicuously absent in Northwest America at the turn of the century?

Maybe my grandmother didn’t like soup. Since “Recipes-My Friends and My Own” isn’t the only culinary text I inherited, I began to look elsewhere. I started with a book of my mother’s, a ledger turned cookbook with lined pages and no organization whatsoever. Though there were many recipes written in her cursive, none were for soup.  A second black-bound binder was still a bust. Finally I turned to the tin recipe box that I remember sitting on the shelf by the stove when I was growing up. The only thing under the “S” tab was Lime Jell-O Salad, one of my grandmother’s holiday staples.

The fact is, I don’t use recipes when I make most soups either. I throw ingredients in a pot and call it food. Maybe that’s what my grandmother did.

I did manage to find two soup recipes my mother wrote out for me on index cards, one for clam chowder and one for curried split pea soup, most likely from the 1970’s.

CURRIED SPLIT PEA SOUP

1 Cup Yellow Split Peas

5 Cups Water

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 Onion – Chopped

1 Mashed Garlic Clove

Combine and simmer until peas are tender, about 1 hour. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook another 25 minutes covered.

1 Cup Each Sliced Celery & Carrots

1 Can Stewed Tomatoes

1 Teaspoon Curry Powder

Salt & Pepper

Next Category: FISHHappy Cooking!

 

JUNE IS ADOPT A SHELTER CAT MONTH

June is Adopt a Shelter Cat month, and I’m here to celebrate!

Though I don’t think I’ll be adopting another kitty this June, I have a fun tale of a previous June adoption. I could reminisce about June 1, 2017, the day I brought Tyler home, but I’ll let him tell you for himself.

Hi, all. I’m Tyler.

I was adopted from the Oregon Humane Society. The docs there figured I was about 18 in human years. My new people couldn’t stand to see a cat of that seniority linger in a shelter, so they took me home.

Boy, did they get a surprise! First thing I did was run all over the house, playing like a kitten. I tested out the feather wand and the treat puzzle, the balls and catnip mousies. I chased the blue thingie that goes around, and I zipped up the cat tree to the top as if I could fly. When my people took me to their doctor, she figured I couldn’t possibly be so old, but it was hard to tell since all my teeth were gone. She guessed I was only around 14. A spring chicken, so to speak. That was nearly six years ago. I still run every day. It’s part of my regular workout regimen to keep me young.

When my humans first brought me home, I was skittish. Uncounted years on the streets had done more than make my fur coarse and my whiskers kinky. It’s scary out there! Scary and hard. Every cat has to fend for themself. Nobody’s your friend out there, all grubbing for the same meager sustenance and vying for territory. Whew! I’m amazed I got through as well as I did. Being a big boy dressed in tabby camo helped, I’m sure.

Then Boom! I was stuffed into a plastic box and then a cage! At least I was warm and fed, but it was still frightening, and I kept to myself. When the human Mollie and the human Jim took me home, I wasn’t ready to trust. Who were these new people? I’d lived with people before, and it had not ended well.

The Mollie and the Jim had got me out of that animal shelter, so that was a point in their favor, but it was quite some time before I’d let them approach. Still, they persevered. Darned if they didn’t know exactly where I liked my chin scratched and my ears rubbed! Eventually I let them stroke down my back and even pet my tail. They never once hurt me or tried to do anything bad. And I loved it!

Once I quit being afraid, I discovered my favorite thing in the world! When the Jim sits on the couch, I jump up beside him! No matter where I am in the house (unless I’m eating, of course) I’ll come running! Within seconds, I’ve settled by his side, purring so loudly you can hear it in the next room. Sometimes I do that if the Mollie’s on the couch, but I prefer my dad. The Jim would like it if I sat in his lap, but these things take time. Maybe when I’m 21!

So, guys, the moral of the story is you’re never too old to learn new things. Or maybe it’s that miracles happen. That’s all.

There you have it—straight from the cat’s mouth.

If Tyler’s story isn’t enough to inspire you to celebrate this very special month, then read this blog post from the ASPCA: This “Adopt a Shelter Cat Month,” You Can Make a Difference for Felines in Need

If you do end up adopting this month, let me know so I can share the good news!

CAT RESCUE ON A BIGGER SCALE

 

Image Credit: WildCat Ridge Sanctuary

An experience that changed my life.

Last weekend, my husband and I had the honor of touring WildCat Ridge Sanctuary, a rescue home for captive-born wildcats in need. Though I’ve seen cats in zoos, to meet them up close in the out-of-doors was amazing. Basically, that visit changed my life.

I love cats, all cats, but to be honest, I’ve never felt much of an affinity for the big ones. They were photo subjects, beautiful and dangerous, but two-dimensional. Everything changed, however, the moment I got to see them in person. To pick out the individuality of their markings, the texture of their fur, their little mannerisms; to smell their scent in the air; to look them in the eye—the experience was nothing short of enlightening. When I gave a slow blink like I would with a house cat and a few blinked back, I felt a connection I’d never dreamed of. I felt like a child, being exposed for the first time to something wonderful.

Scout – Image Credit: WildCat Ridge Sanctuary

The cats were all so different, even those of the same breed. I recently wrote about how we instinctively tell our own cats apart from others of similar colors, and this was the same thing. I don’t know why I’d imagined anything else—of course they would all be unique. I guess it goes back to those flat magazine photos and nature videos that don’t come close to capturing their innate vivaciousness, intensity, and power. In photos, videos, and zoos, the cats are second-hand. In person, even when aloof, they knew I was there. There was a relationship, a rapport. My reaction to the living, moving, slinking, playing, chuffing cats was pure awe. Let me describe it as empathy. Suddenly wildcats came alive to me, and I will never see them as those flat renderings again.

Cricket (Serval) – Image Credit: WildCat Ridge Sanctuary

I was fortunate to have won the guided tour of WildCat Ridge in a charity auction for House of Dreams cat shelter in Portland Oregon. WCR offers a limited number of tours through Airbnb, but they’re not cheap. Nor should they be. The rescue takes animals from all over the continent, cats who have been kept in cages and even abused. It’s a huge undertaking that requires unwavering commitment and lots of donation dollars.

Some big cats were collected from roadside shows where they had been kept in crowded, unhealthy confinement and made to face public gawkers and taunters. Others were kept solely to produce kittens for the lucrative business of public petting. The kittens themselves grow out of monetary usefulness as they age. Smaller cats are often bred with house cats to produce exotic pets, but buyers find they can’t handle a wildcat in their home and pass them on to a shelter.

Some of the cats have had good contact with humans, but many of their experiences have been bad. At WCR, visitors need to understand it’s all about what’s best for these cats. That they tolerate the tourists at all is a gift.

Chobe (lioness) – Image Credit: WildCat Ridge Sanctuary

I suppose that’s another thing I learned in my walk among the wildcats: Humans have no business treating animals as possessions. I knew that before, from years of work in rescue and from plain old common sense, but to see those cats finally among humans who consider their needs first was inspirational.

Flynn and Truffles, domestic cats – Image Credit: WildCat Ridge Sanctuary

Special shout out to Binx, an all-black domestic cat who lives in a comfortable clowder with other “unadoptable” kitties.

Image Credit: WildCat Ridge Sanctuary

I’m including some photos from the WildCat Ridge website because they don’t allow individuals to take their own photos there. I was given permission to use these photos for this blog post.

Nia, (Caracal) – Image Credit: WildCat Ridge Sanctuary

About WildCat Ridge:

“WildCat Ridge Sanctuary is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and accredited “last hope” sanctuary in beautiful Scotts Mills, Oregon. We provide a safe, natural lifetime home for captive-born wildcats in need. Our 80 resident animals are primarily wildcats but also include hybrid cats, domestic feral cats, dogs, and a herd/flock of donkeys, sheep, cows, roosters, and turkeys. We are not open to the public and we do not buy, sell, breed, or exhibit our animals.

WildCat Ridge Sanctuary relies on donations to cover the expense of caring for all of our rescued animals, which is about $500K per year. The annual cost of food for one big cat is about $10,000. Your generous monthly gift will help ensure that these deserving creatures get the best care for the rest of their lives. Thank you.” —The WildCat Ridge Sanctuary Website  https://wildcatridgesanctuary.org/

 

 

 

 

IT’S THE THIRD OF JUNE…

It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day. I was out choppin’ cotton and my brother was balin’ hay…

Today is June third.

I’ve posted before about the enigmatic ballad sung by Bobbie Gentry back in the sixties. It’s been more than 50 years since she produced the haunting song that had a whole generation wondering: What did Billy Joe Macallister really throw off the Tallahatchie Bridge? Half a century later, we still don’t know.

Though speculation ran from flowers to a baby, no one ever got Gentry to commit. In 1976, a film was made based on the song, it’s interpretation including a homosexual theme. Herman Raucher, the screenplay’s writer, asked  Bobbie Gentry about the song:

“I said, ‘You don’t know why he jumped off the bridge?’ She said, ‘I have no idea.’”

What does it mean?

Even more intriguing is the meaning of the song itself. A handwritten page of Gentry’s original lyrics had been found. It began with a verse she never recorded and with the first line crossed out.

Sally Jane Ellison’s been missing since the first week in June. People don’t see Sally Jane in town any more. There’s a lot o’ speculatin’, she’s not actin’ like she did before. Some say she knows more than she’s willin’ to tell. But she stays quiet and a few think it’s just as well. No one really knows what went on up on Choctaw Ridge the day that Billy Jo McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge. —University of Mississippi’s Archives and Special Collections

In the published lyrics, Sally Jane became the unnamed female narrator who was only present with Billy Joe throwing something off the bridge. What it means has more to do with the nature of the ballad than the story.

The story itself has many dramatic elements— Billy Joe’s apparent suicide and the bridge-tossing mystery— that its true meaning was lost on the youth of the mid-sixties, as it has been lost ever since.

It doesn’t matter what they threw off the bridge. More ominous than Billy Joe’s suicide, more menacing than the couple throwing something off the bridge, more heartbreaking than the lonely narrator picking flowers up on Choctaw Ridge is the blatant apathy of the family to the tragedies going on around them. The true theme of the song is indifference.

“The song is a first-person narrative that reveals a Southern Gothic tale in its verses by including the dialog of the narrator’s family at dinnertime on the day that “Billie Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge.” Throughout the song, the suicide and other tragedies are contrasted against the banality of everyday routine and polite conversation.” —Wikipedia  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ode_to_Billie_Joe

Published Lyrics:

It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day
I was out choppin’ cotton, and my brother was balin’ hay
And at dinner time we stopped and walked back to the house to eat
And mama hollered out the back door, y’all, remember to wipe your feet
And then she said, I got some news this mornin’ from Choctaw Ridge
Today, Billy Joe MacAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie BridgeAnd papa said to mama, as he passed around the blackeyed peas
Well, Billy Joe never had a lick of sense; pass the biscuits, please
There’s five more acres in the lower forty I’ve got to plow
And mama said it was shame about Billy Joe, anyhow
Seems like nothin’ ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge
And now Billy Joe MacAllister’s jumped off the Tallahatchie BridgeAnd brother said he recollected when he, and Tom, and Billie Joe
Put a frog down my back at the Carroll County picture show
And wasn’t I talkin’ to him after church last Sunday night?
I’ll have another piece-a apple pie; you know, it don’t seem right
I saw him at the sawmill yesterday on Choctaw Ridge
And now ya tell me Billie Joe’s jumped off the Tallahatchie BridgeAnd mama said to me, child, what’s happened to your appetite?
I’ve been cookin’ all morning, and you haven’t touched a single bite
That nice young preacher, Brother Taylor, dropped by today
Said he’d be pleased to have dinner on Sunday, oh, by the way
He said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge
And she and Billy Joe was throwing somethin’ off the Tallahatchie BridgeA year has come and gone since we heard the news ’bout Billy Joe
And brother married Becky Thompson; they bought a store in Tupelo
There was a virus going ’round; papa caught it, and he died last spring
And now mama doesn’t seem to want to do much of anything
And me, I spend a lot of time pickin’ flowers up on Choctaw Ridge
And drop them into the muddy water off the Tallahatchie Bridge

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Bobbie Gentry

Ode to Billie Joe lyrics © Spirit Music Group

In this photograph from the November 10, 1967 issue of Life magazine, Bobbie Gentry strolls across the Tallahatchie Bridge in Money, Mississippi. The bridge collapsed in June 1972.

WE HAVE A WINNER!

A few weeks ago I announced a giveaway of a collection of Crazy Cat Lady paperback books. I hope you got a chance to enter, because the time has finally come…

Now for the drawing!

Tyler has his claws at the ready! One – two – three! He swipes left – he swipes right – he hooks a name! I undo his claw from the paper, and he goes off to find something to eat.

Well done, Tyler!

And the winner is…

The winner of the a paperback copy of Cat’s Paw, Cat Call, Cosmic Cat, Cat Noel, and Cat Conundrum is…

Julie!

Julie has been notified. Thanks to everyone else who took time to enter the contest.

COVER REVEAL – CAT AUTUMN

A new book! A new cover!

One of my favorite parts of publishing a new book is seeing the cover. Whether on the purchase page, in a review, or as I open the carton of print copies, it’s an experience that can’t be equaled. I suppose the finished cover represents all the hard work and inspiration that I’ve put into the story inside. All the drafts, the edits, the readthroughs, the changes add up to that one moment when the book comes alive, cover first.

I hope you like it as much as I do!

Cat Autumn

In the wild coastal forest lies a mysterious portal. Neither Niva nor her three psychic rescue cats have seen the like. Though Niva and kits Axtel and Flaxrud tremble in fear, shy Sandstrom, is mesmerized by the phenomenon. In an impulsive move, Sandstrom leaps in and disappears. Niva follows to save him, no matter the cost.

Sandstrom finds himself in another universe where a race of techno-medical felines is fighting a bloody land war. Sandstrom is drafted into the alien army, while Niva is captured and taken to a gruesome surgical ward. Now Sandstrom must be the one to do the saving.

Aided by a sympathetic alien and a powerful shadow-panther, Sandstrom sets out to rescue Niva and get back home. But there is more at stake than he knows. Niva’s presence in the alternative universe has tipped a precarious balance. One wrong step could mean annihilation for all.

The Cat Seasons Tetralogy , cats saving the world!

Four books. Cats save the world. Each book contains a fresh cast of characters facing new challenges. A deadly evil, a vengeful space anomaly, an enemy from an alternate universe, and a plague that doesn’t just kill—it annihilates! Be glad the cats are on our side.

Cat Autumn is the third book in the Cat Seasons Tetralogy. There will be one more, eventually.  Though I enjoy writing my cozy mysteries, this series has been, and is continuing to be, my life’s work. I was a sci-fi/fantasy fan before I was a mystery fan, reading authors such as Le Guin, Tolkien, Fontana, Heinlein, Bradbury, Herbert, Verne, Lewis… the list goes on. Finding my voice in the sci-fantasy world is one of my favorite accomplishments.

HOW TO MAKE MONEY FROM WRITING

People are always interested in how to make money as a writer. I’m the wrong person to ask because I’d be writing if I were the last person on Earth after the apocalypse. But I do hear things, so here goes:

HOW TO MAKE MONEY FROM WRITING in 10 Not-So-Easy Ways

 

 

Additional suggestions always welcome. Good luck!

 

 

 

Not All Mothers Have Human Babies

Happy Mother’s Day, no matter who your babies are.

According to the media, Mother’s Day is a time to buy, buy, buy! Though meant to celebrate mothers, it too often leaves us feeling left out or disappointed. When we don’t receive those floral bouquets, brunches at expensive restaurants, and other gifts, we ask ourselves what we did wrong. Why doesn’t our family extol us like the families on TV? Spoiler: It’s not us—it’s them, the advertisers, playing on our heartstrings to sell their products.

Mother’s Day can be a difficult time for other reasons as well. For those of us who have lost a mother, who have lost a child, who are not able to have children, or who chose not to populate an already-overpopulated world, the day can be melancholy.

How ever you celebrate—or don’t celebrate—Mother’s Day, this video is sure to charm you. Make sure you watch to the end.

Thank you again this year, Furball Fables! 

IT’S TIME FOR SPRING CLEANING AND A GIVEAWAY!

For me, May is a bit of a lag time.

Not yet summer, but not really spring. The weather is unpredictable—anything from a high of 87◦ to a low of 45◦. Here in Portland, we’ve had rain, hail, thunder, sun, and a short heatwave. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

In my grandmother’s day, this time of year meant Spring Cleaning. She would take up the rugs and wash the floors, polish the moldings from baseboards to picture rails, and banish the accumulation of dust gathered over a sedentary winter indoors. I’m not nearly as industrious as she was, but I do have some spring cleaning to do in another area.

Last year, I updated most of the covers for my Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery series. Though I didn’t change the front cover, I added artwork to the spine and a new improved blurb on the back. I’m happy with the results. What do you think?

Book Sale!

Meanwhile I have some of the older covers left in stock. (There is no difference to the book itself—just the cover as noted above.) I’m selling them direct for 50% off retail (plus USPS Media Mail shipping which is $3.65 for one book. U.S. addresses only.)

Here’s the list:

Cat’s Paw, Cat Call, and Cat Conundrum—retail $14.00, now only $7.00

Cat Noel (Novella)—retail $10, now only $5.00

I also have several copies of the Firestar Press edition of Cat Summer, book 1 of the Cat Seasons sci-fantasy tetralogy (above left) to sell out. Above right is the new cover that matches the rest of the series.

Cat Summer old cover—retail $15, now only $7.50.

Numbers are limited, so order soon. To purchase, email me at molliehuntcatwriter@gmail.com with “Sale” in the comment line.

But I also mentioned a giveaway.

One lucky person will win a copy each of Cat’s Paw, Cat Call, Cosmic Cat, Cat Noel, and Cat Conundrum. To enter the giveaway, email me at molliehuntcatwriter@gmail.com with “Giveaway” in the comment line.

U.S. addresses only. Drawing for the giveaway will be June 1.

 

THE LONG, DARK SPECTER OF COVID-19

Don’t underestimate the effects of COVID-19. It can impact the rest of your life.

COVID’s over—right?

We’ve all got our vaxes and are moving on, returning to our “normal” lives…

Right?

Sure, people are still getting COVID, but it’s nothing like it was. Just a bad cold or the flu…

Right?

Sorry, but WRONG!

You should have heard the term, Long COVID, by now. Long COVID is when the acute stage of COVID is over but symptoms remain or return. These symptoms vary greatly from person to person, but they can continue for weeks, months, or forever.

Forever!

Alone

At this very moment, Long COVID is impacting lives, turning normally efficient, energetic people into a near-invalids. Dizziness, fatigue, confusion, anxiety and depression, and pain are only a few of the issues, but symptoms can manifest as anything from headaches to itchy feet to intolerance of light and noises. If you don’t think that can throw you off your game, think again.

I was diagnosed with Long COVID a bit over a year ago when the doctors and tests couldn’t find anything to account for my malaise. That, and the way some of the symptoms manifested themselves, marked it as Long COVID. There is no definitive test as yet. In fact, little is yet known. This is something new to the medical profession, and they are learning along with us.

Unfortunately, there are many, both in and out of the medical field, who don’t believe in Long COVID. Employees balk, expecting us to push through the same workload as we managed before. Friends and family doubt us. Hell, sometimes I doubt myself. I’m faking. I’m lazy. I’m crazy. I’m old. Like PMS and fibromyalgia, it’s all in my head.

Right?

Confused

Long COVID is real.

Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Don’t let them belittle, invalidate, or gaslight you. It’s their ignorance they are revealing by such actions, not yours!

So now is not the time to drop our vigilance. (There may never be a time.) Wear a mask if you’re somewhere crowded. Keep your distance from others.  If you’re sick, stay home. If you think it’s COVID, get tested. If it is COVID, get meds and take care of yourself. Stay informed. Accept the fact there will never be an “old” normal. Live the best life you can, because you never know when things might change.

Broken

A FEW STATS FROM THE CDC:

Nearly one in five American adults who have had COVID-19 still have “Long COVID.”People who had only a mild case of COVID-19 can get Long COVID.Vaccinated people who contract COVID-19 can get Long COVID.People who had COVID-19 a long time before can suddenly present with Long COVID.

LONG COVID SYMPTOMS:

This list is long and getting longer. Most sufferers don’t have all the symptoms, but they may have a great many in varying degrees. I’ve put an “X” beside the ones I have.

General symptoms can include fatigue, fever, pain, post exertional malaise, and cognitive disfunction.

A Closer Look:

Breathing (respiratory symptoms)

Breathlessness – Xcough

Heart and circulation (cardiovascular symptoms)

chest tightness – Xchest pain – Xheartbeats that can become noticeable (palpitations) – Xpostural tachycardia syndrome* (PoTS) – X

Brain (neurological symptoms)

brain fog, loss of concentration, memory issues (cognitive impairment) – Xheadachebroken sleep – Xpins and needles, and numbness (peripheral neuropathy symptoms) – Xdizziness – Xsudden confusion (delirium) particularly in older peopledifficulties moving around (mobility impairment)difficulties with or changes to your sight (visual disturbance) – XLight & Sound Sensitivity – X

Digestive system (gastrointestinal symptoms)

abdominal pain – Xfeeling sick (nausea)diarrheaweight loss and reduced appetite

Joints and muscles (musculoskeletal symptoms)

muscle and joint pain – X

Mental health (psychological symptoms)

symptoms of depression for example low mood, poor sleep, lack of concentration and feeling helpless – Xsymptoms of anxiety for example feeling on edge, excessive worry and difficulties sleeping – Xsymptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, especially in people with more severe coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms that needed intensive care in hospital

Ear, nose and throat symptoms

loss of taste and/or smellringing in the ears (tinnitus)earachesore throatdizziness – X

Skin (dermatological symptoms)

skin rasheshair loss – X

* Postural tachycardia syndrome* (PoTS): an abnormal increase in heart rate that happens after standing up. Symptoms include lightheadedness, palpitations, and fatigue.

Most of this list is taken from NHS Inform. NHS inform is Scotland’s national health information service, where they are doing a lot of study on Long COVID.